This invention relates to amusement devices, and in particular to a novel structure design having a general silhouette corresponding to a beverage container. While the invention is described in particular detail with respect to its beverage container application, those skilled in the art will recognize the wider applicability of the inventive principles disclosed hereinafter.
A number of advertising or amusement devices are known in the art which are replicas, in one form or another, of well known consumer products. Thus, it has been common to provide cylindrical waste cans resembling beverage, soft drink and intoxicating liquor or non-intoxicating beer containers. Likewise, cigarette lighters and lamps have been designed which employ beverage containers or other commercial product packages in their overall structural composition. In general, such devices are well received by the consuming public, and provide expanded brand identification for the manufacturer or producer of the product employing the package being reproduced.
The invention disclosed hereinafter may be utilized in conjunction with well known amusement or advertising novelties, but differentiates from the prior art static designs by permitting the advertising novelty to be animated. Animation is provided through the use of a solar energy conversion cell and electric motor. The motor includes a shaft extending outwardly of the enclosure. Means for causing movement of the enclosure is attached to the motor shaft. Depending upon the means attached to the motor shaft, the enclosure may be operated in a variety of movement modes including, for example, oscillatory, circular, rotational and straight line movement modes.
One of the objects of this invention is to provide a low cost, animated amusement device.
Another object of this invention is to provide an amusement device operated from a solar energy conversion cell.
Another object of this invention is to provide an animated enclosure, the motion of which is obtained directly from an electrical motor.
Other objects of this invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the following description and accompanying drawings.